Piece of 70 Percent Cocoa Chocolate Cake
by HermioneJMalfoy
Summary: "You know, your eyes kind of remind me of chocolate." It was so absurd she had to laugh, "My eyes aren't even brown." "Well, okay, but like, they remind me of 70% cocoa chocolate. Kind of bitter-sweet, but still warm. In an I-want-to-murder-you way."


**A/N**

**Hey, everyone. It's been a long time since I've written anything, and even longer since I've published. But I just caught up with Heroes of Olympus, and I just had to get these ideas out of my head. I'm sorry if characters are OOC, but I'm tired of Reyna being described as mean as, I don't know, an empousa. So, here you go.**

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Piece of 70% Cocoa Chocolate Cake

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Leo was not ready for any of this. Not at all.

There he was, casually taking a stroll around New Rome, alone, on the way to his death sentence.

.

It all started with the stupid dare. Last night, in the mess hall, Leo was sitting at the table with his six friends, who were, annoyingly, all paired up with each other. Leo was squished between Frank and Jason, and across him, Percy and Annabeth were holding hands under the table. Jason leaned in and whispered something into Piper's ear and she giggled.

Leo internally rolled his eyes, "Not at the table, please, people. I'm losing my appetite."

"You eat too much anyway," Frank chuckled good-heartedly.

"I do not! You are just jealous of my super-fast metabolism. I can eat all I want and still look scrawny," Leo said proudly, but in truth, he was a bit intimidated by the big guy's sudden growth spurt from few weeks ago.

To think it was only a few weeks ago that they defeated Gaea...Leo looked around the table, muting out the conversation. They'd been through so much, the seven of them. _There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each_ _other_. The quote rang in his ears, but he couldn't zero in on where he read it.

"Jupiter to Leo," Jason waved his hand in front of Leo's eyes, "Where did you go?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Leo flashed them his impish smile, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"You know what, guys? I think our Leo, here," Piper smiled at him from the end of the couch, "Was thinking about a girl."

"What? No!" Leo blushed. That's what he gets for not being honest, "Actually, I was just thinking about way to use Archimedes' sphere to improve Festus and..."

"I still think it was about a girl," Piper cut him off and popped a grape into her mouth.

"Just because you're a daughter of Aphrodite doesn't mean you can..."

"I agree with Piper," Hazel interrupted, "I think Leo's feeling lonely. We should find him a girl."

Leo started to feel panicky. The girls were teaming up against him. "Yeah, thanks, but no thanks, I'm doing just fine on my own..." he attempted. He glanced up and saw Annabeth giving him an _oh, sweetie, you stand no chance against them _look.

"What's the matter, Leo? Don't think you're up to it?" Frank teased.

"Please," Leo snorted, "I'm always up to it. I mean, uh, I bet I could get a date if a wanted to faster than Arion could run 100 metres."

Hazel laughed, but Piper looked serious, "I accept the bet."

"What bet?" Leo had trouble keeping his hands still. He wanted to pull a wire from his tool belt and start crafting it into something. "I didn't mean it seriously."

"So, it was all empty words?" Piper wasn't using charmspeak, but Leo was sure she was manipulating him in some way. He sighed inwardly. He couldn't back out now.

"Fine, gimme the scariest girl you've got and I'll score a date with her," he thrust his chin out, challenging them.

Jason and Percy looked at each other. "Reyna," they said at the same time.

.

Really, he should've seen it coming. Leo mentally slapped himself, several times. _Come on, Valdez_, he thought, _you just have to dash in, sweep her from her feet and not get killed in the process. Piece of cake._

The first obstacle was finding her. Jason directed him to the praetors' office, so that was where he was heading now. He had no idea how was he going to approach Reyna. She probably still wanted him dead, even though they'd explained everything about eidolons.

He was so deep in his thoughts, he wasn't paying enough attention to the world around him. He suddenly heard dogs barking and his head snapped up. He could recognise an automaton when he heard one, and right now, not one, but two automatons were running towards him. Someone else might have fled at the sight of two mechanical dogs with rows of sharp, equally mechanical teeth, but not Leo.

"Oh my gods," he whispered and squatted. " . ." The silver dog put his front paw on his right thigh, and the gold one nuzzled at the left.

"I see you've met my pets," Leo heard a sceptical voice. He didn't have to guess twice about who was looming above his head. For once, Reyna wasn't wearing her praetor cloak. Her dark, glossy hair was pulled into a braid over her shoulder and she was wearing a purple T-shirt with _SPQR_ written on the front. Leo moved his eyes from the writing, to avoid being accused of staring. Which he totally wasn't.

"Yes, they are quite amazing," Leo said, turning back to the automatons. He petted the golden one. He could feel the gears and circuits inside it. It was an amazing work of art.

"Their names are Aurum and Argentum, by the way. But why...Why are they being so _nice_ to you?" She twisted her mouth at the word _nice_.

"I'm irresistible that way," Leo's eyes gleamed in the morning sun. Reyna crossed her arms.

"Well, I am a son of Hephaestus, you know," Leo tried again.

"Yes, I noticed that. I seem to recall that you destroyed my Forum with some of your weapons."

Okay, so maybe reminding her about that incident wasn't the smartest idea, "Look, about that, you have every right to be mad, I would be freaking out, too, if I were you."

"You realize my dogs can tear you to shreds in a matter of seconds, do you?"

"Yes, but they're not going to do that. Because I'm telling the truth, right?" Leo smiled at her innocently.

"How did you know about that?" She asked reluctantly.

He chuckled, "I know everything." Argentum dug his claws deeper into his jeans and Reyna narrowed her eyes. Leo smiled sheepishly, "Okay, maybe not everything. Percy told me about the dogs."

"Percy," she nodded, her eyes darting somewhere over the horizon. Leo scolded himself for bringing up another unpleasant topic. He scratched Argentum's chin to calm him and watched Reyna shake her head and turn back to him.

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

Even with his Hephaestus influence, he wasn't sure he could control two automatons that could go apeshit and turn into bloody-thirsty killing machines if he tried to lie. He decided he had better chances of survival if he simply told Reyna the truth. In the best case scenario, she would laugh in his face and he'd run back to his friends with his tail between his legs. And that was the best case scenario.

"I'm here to ask you on a date."

Reyna stared at him for a couple of agonizing seconds, as if processing his words. Then her eyebrows arched in a surprise, "Come again?"

"You're making this really hard, you know?" Leo sighed.

"I'd imagine I am, yes," corners of Reyna's lips curled up about one millimetre. He wasn't sure if she was smiling. Did she just make a joke? Maybe Reyna wasn't that bad after all.

"I-I was just wondering if you'd maybe, I don't know, want to go out with me sometime?" He looked up at her, not quite able to meet her piercing eyes. It was like she knew there was more to the story.

"You don't even know me. This is the longest we've ever talked. Before I set my dogs at you, do you mind me asking why the sudden interest?"

"Um, because you're beautiful, smart and I have a thing for bossy women? Also because I need to win a bet against my friends."

"Ha! I knew it," she said victoriously.

"Can you just turn me down already so I can go in my bed and not get up for a week?" Leo pleaded. He peeled Argentum off his leg and stood up.

"Who says I'm going to turn you down?" This time, she definitely smiled. Leo couldn't believe his ears. He squinted at her, "What's in it for you?"

"I've got my reasons. So where are you taking me?"

"What, like, now?" Leo hadn't really planned this far. "I didn't even bring any money!"

"Fine, you pay the next time." _The next time?_

Reyna dragged him to what she proclaimed to be her favourite café. Leo didn't know why everyone assumed he liked coffee. He asked her about it. He figured that topic must be safe.

"Must be because of your eyes," she mused, "Always so full of energy."

"Have you been looking into my eyes a lot lately?" he smirked.

"Don't be ridiculous," she brushed it off, but he could swear he saw a faintest blush on her cheeks, "Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm here for the hot chocolate." She gracefully sat on her chair, and a waiter immediately appeared by her side. "I'll have the usual, Steve. Thank you."

Leo slumped onto his chair, "I'll have what she's having." Socializing was so _tiring_. It felt great to have a civilized conversation with Reyna, for a change, but part of him still wanted to go back to his quarters and fiddle with Archimedes' sphere. Or better yet, to go to bunker 9, so he can finally fix Festus.

Their orders arrived. "Cheers," Leo said and sipped his drink. He was not disappointed. "So why did you really go out with me?" He couldn't stop himself from asking. He feared it was out of pity, and that's one thing Leo wouldn't be able to stand.

Reyna sighed, "I was hoping you wouldn't ask. I guess...I guess I just wanted to show Jason and the rest of your friends that I'm not as stiff as everyone thinks."

For the first time since Leo had known her, Reyna looked uncertain. Like she was still trying to convince _herself_.

"Hey," Leo said, surprised at the gentleness of his own voice, "You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You are totally awesome the way you are, no kidding."

She didn't say anything, so he just kept talking, which might not have been the greatest idea he's ever had. "You know, your eyes kind of remind me of chocolate."

It was so absurd she had to laugh, "My eyes aren't even brown."

"Well, okay, but like, they remind me of 70% cocoa chocolate. Kind of bitter-sweet, but still warm. In an I-want-to-murder-you way."

She smiled, "That was actually really nice, Valdez." He beamed at her. "By the way," she continued, "You've got some chocolate on your lip." She leaned in and kissed off the offending chocolate.

.

"They can't possibly be serious."

"I think they're acting."

"Maybe he told her it was a bet?"

"If he'd told her, she would've knocked him into Thursday."

"No, guys," Piper smiled dreamily, "They're not acting."

.

**A/N: **

**Well that was a lame ending, if I'd ever seen one. Please review, I'm aware that my writing is a bit rusty. **

**Thanks and (hopefully) see you soon**


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